diff --git a/include/spdk/thread.h b/include/spdk/thread.h
index 00590e4fd..63cb7b31b 100644
--- a/include/spdk/thread.h
+++ b/include/spdk/thread.h
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ struct spdk_io_channel {
 	struct spdk_thread		*thread;
 	struct io_device		*dev;
 	uint32_t			ref;
+	uint32_t			destroy_ref;
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(spdk_io_channel)	tailq;
 	spdk_io_channel_destroy_cb	destroy_cb;
 
diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index bf484ccee..7c91cac94 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ spdk_get_io_channel(void *io_device)
 	ch->destroy_cb = dev->destroy_cb;
 	ch->thread = thread;
 	ch->ref = 1;
+	ch->destroy_ref = 0;
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&thread->io_channels, ch, tailq);
 
 	SPDK_DEBUGLOG(SPDK_LOG_THREAD, "Get io_channel %p for io_device %s (%p) on thread %s refcnt %u\n",
@@ -553,7 +554,9 @@ _spdk_put_io_channel(void *arg)
 
 	assert(ch->thread == spdk_get_thread());
 
-	if (ch->ref > 0) {
+	ch->destroy_ref--;
+
+	if (ch->ref > 0 || ch->destroy_ref > 0) {
 		/*
 		 * Another reference to the associated io_device was requested
 		 *  after this message was sent but before it had a chance to
@@ -598,6 +601,7 @@ spdk_put_io_channel(struct spdk_io_channel *ch)
 	ch->ref--;
 
 	if (ch->ref == 0) {
+		ch->destroy_ref++;
 		spdk_thread_send_msg(ch->thread, _spdk_put_io_channel, ch);
 	}
 }